Same As It Ever Was.

We've Returned ...... after a weekend that was entirely too short to find that pretty much nothing has changed in the
36 hours or so since we last graced the Capitol with our presence. Which leads us to a question: For all the talk about reform this year, did it actually add up to anything?
The actual answer to that question, our conversations with lawmakers and political observers is ... well ... not so much.Gov. Ed
and Republican legislative leaders may have spent the
late hours of Saturday night blaming each other for this weekend's
impasse, but at least one goal of many reformers -- namely, a slower
and more deliberative legislative process -- was mostly accomplished
this budget season.''I feel like I've gotten a chance to read bills,'' Sen. Lisa
Boscola, D-Northampton, told us.
But in another, very significant way, the reform movement failed.
Even though lawmakers gave themselves all that time for deliberation,
they once again put off work until the final weeks of June, and found
themselves racing to avert a potential government shutdown.If Rendell and legislative leaders can't come to an accord by Saturday,
thousands of non-essential state employees would be furloughed and the
state's new slot machine casinos shuttered.
''It's aggravating as hell,'' Senate Minority Robert J. Mellow,
D-Lackawanna, said of the budget impasse. ''It's almost like a rite of
passage to be here on the fourth Saturday in June.''
Procedural changes are good, argued Eric Epstein of the activist group
Rock The Capital, but real reform is measured by what's accomplished at
the end of the process.
''There was no excuse for again waiting until the last minute,'' he
said. ''I don't care about political chasms. What matters is delivering
the best possible product for Pennsylvanians.''The rest of today's news starts after the jump.

Speaking Of Blown Deadlines.Classes at the 14 state-owned universities will go on as scheduled today despite the fact that
university faculty are threatening a strike, the Patriot-News reports this morning.Union bosses agreed to a state mediator's request to hold off on a walk-out to allow for one more day of talks. The contract for the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties expired on Saturday. The union, which goes by the mush-mouthed acronym of APSCUF, represents 5,500 professors.We're getting no small amount of amusement out of trying to picture what it might be like to see university professors walking a picket line. It'd be like a tweed factory exploded.More Unfinished Business.Among the pieces of Gov. Ed's second-term agenda that are keeping all of us from actually enjoying our summer is the cornerstone of his Energy Independence Strategy. Yep, that's right, we're talking about the dread "Systems Benefit Charge" on home utility bills.The Inquirer has a pretty good look this morning at the backroom drama surrounding Rendell's energy package.We'd read it ... but we simply just don't care.

People Actually Want To Be Elected State Treasurer?Two suburban Philadelphia Democrats are duking it out for the right to run for the state's top accountant job, the Inky reports this morning.Montgomery County venture capitalist Rob McCord says he has raised $1.5
million to seek the Democratic nomination for treasurer next year,
a whopping amount for a relatively obscure race.McCord, of Bryn Mawr, made his intentions clear last week by preparing a state campaign-finance report, even though it is
not required for a primary that's still 10 months away.McCord's chief rival for the job most people try to leave as soon as they can is Bucks County Democratic Chairman John Cordisco. He said he was unfazed by the big fund-raising tally."You just can't parachute into a statewide race," said Cordisco, 52,
who served in the state House from 1981 through 1986, and has been
county chairman for five years. "Somebody coming in with no base and no
core message doesn't concern me."Oh God ... we're bored with this race already, and it hasn't even started yet.50 Freshmen In 50 Days.A guaranteed space-filler returns for the fourth week. Today, we meet state Rep. Barbara McIlvaine-Smith, D-Chester.Name: Barbara McIlvaine-Smith
Hometown: West Chester, Pa.Age: 57Real World Job Before You Joined The Legislature: Since 1980, business-owner of Brandywine Water Systems Inc., a water-purification, family owned and operated business; also taught environmental education and fourth grade.Last Book Read:Dreams From My Father, Barack Obama.Favorite TV Show:NOW with Bill Moyers.Favorite Movie:It's A Wonderful Life.Phillies or Pirates: Phillies.Eagles or Steelers: Eagles.Cheesesteak or Primanti Bros: Cheesesteak.Yuengling or Iron City: Neither. I don't drink beer.If I Weren't A Politician, I'd Be: An artist, writer and singer.What Makes You Angry: Political spin and lies.What Makes You Sad: When people believe political spin and lies.The Edict of Nantes Settled This European Controversy: Religious and civil rights.

Where In The World Is Bob Casey?(TM)A periodic Capitol Ideas feature returns to find Pennsylvania's junior United States senator out
shilling for funds for ailing U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota.More astute readers may recall that Johnson was felled last December by a near-fatal brain hemorrhage that came just weeks after Democrats celebrated their re-taking of the U.S. House and Senate.Johnson's on the mend, Hermetic Bob tells us in an e-mail that wafted into our in-box on Saturday morning. And what better way to celebrate it, Casey suggested, than by making a contribution to Johnson's re-election campaign before the weekend's filing deadline? Especially with him being up for re-election next year and all."It's extremely important that Tim have a strong report," Casey said in a bizarre case of misplaced priorities. One would think that little things, like, oh, say, GETTING OUT OF THE HOSPITAL, might be more important.In any case, "Since Tim can't fund-raise for himself right now, all of us are going to have to help him out," Casey continued.Could this be any more crass?

In Case You Were Wondering ...... former New York City Mayor and serial cross-dresser Rudy Giuliani won the Pennsylvania Republican State Committee's first-ever presidential straw poll over the weekend. Resplendent in silk organza and pearls, Rudy dusted his nearest challengers Fred Thompson, Mitt "I Love Dogs" Romney and John McCain. And, just like Pennsylvania's primary, the result has absolutely no meaning whatsoever.Deck Chair Rearranging Dept.Robert Traynham, former spokesguy and aide-de-camp to Our Rick, has cast his lot with Fred Thompson'sStill-Not-Exactly-Running-For-President campaign. A hat-tip to our pal Brett Lieberman at Pennsyltucky Politics for the news.We Missed This One On Friday ...... but it bears noting that the state House approved a resolution honoring the life of U.S. ArmySpecialist Luis O. Rodriguez-Contera. The Allentown native was killed in Iraq in March when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Rodriguez-Contrera was on patrol with his unit in Baghdad at the time.Rodriguez-Contrera was attached to the Army's 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. The unit is based in Fort Hood, Texas."Specialist Rodriguez-Contrera was not even supposed to be on patrol that day, he had volunteered for duty," said Rep. Jennifer Mann, D-Lehigh, was sponsored the resolution.It's also a reminder of how trivial some of the stuff that goes on around here actually is by comparison.Another Local Note ...... in the hustle and bustle on Saturday, the state Senate voted to confirm lawyer Maria Dantos to seat on the Court of Common Pleas in Lehigh County.

Helping You Plan Your Week.Eric Epstein, Tim Potts, Gene Stilp and the rest of their underemployed band of merrymakers will hold a press conference Thursday to observe the second anniversary of the legislative pay raise. This is so cool. It's kind of like having your elderly uncles get together on the front porch with a pitcher of lemonade and telling you how everything was better at Woodstock.

In The Blogosphere.Keystone Politics on Tom Ridge predicting an American withdrawal from Iraq; GrassrootsPA holds a contest. The winner gets a dented can of soup?; Young Philly Politics offers its take on one of the successes of this budget season; Above Average Jane on today's ACORN presidential forum in Philly; Shocking exactly no one, Tony Phyrillas blames Gov. Ed, House Dems for budget impasse; 2 Political Junkies on the POTUS going all introspective and stuff; Gort on something called "pet 'blogging" (sounds like it might be illegal to us); A Big Fat Slob observes the actual anniversary of American Independence (and do yourself a favor, read the Declaration and remind yourself of what this nation is actually all about); Bernie O'Hare comes up with a ratings system for the PA political 'blogosphere (We're rated "PG" -- obviously, we're not trying hard enough); Suburban Guerrilla on Michelle Malkin setting the controls for the heart of the sun; Dick Polman says it's bad politics to insult Cuban-Americans; Wonkette has your daily briefing; Andrew Sullivan on the lessons of London and Glasgow, and Sarah's So Boring Ever Since She Stopped Drinking.On The Capitol Ideas iPod This Morning.Given the title of today's post, you had to know where we were going with this one. Mr. Byrne, take it away ...

Monday's Gratuitous Soccer Link.Mexico is the first team to advance to the quarter-finals of this month's Copa America tournament with a 2-1 victory over Ecuador yesterday. Meanwhile, Brazil kept its tournament hopes alive with a 3-0 win over Chile. Team USA plays tonight against Paraguay. Elsewhere, Manchester United completed its acquisition of Canadian Owen Hargreaves from German squad Bayern Munich.

Current Comments

Re: gratuitous soccer link: and Hargreaves has never been sent off in over 200 appearances. So at least he will act as a useful countermeasure to Rooney the lout whose discipline could get even worse as the new season gets underway. Eh, but I support the Blues so I would have to say that for the upcoming season the more appropriate Talking Heads song in relation to Manure's chances of another championship is Once In A Lifetime!! Cheers.

Posted By: MrSSNutkin | Jul 4, 2007 9:47:07 PM

I'm just curious what Stilp, Potts and Epstein white on the line on their tax forms where it says "OCCUPATION?"